The Tudors On Film And Television, by Sue Parrill and William B. Robison

Perhaps it should come as little surprise that given the sort of books that I often review for the De Re Militari that I would pick a book that has been available for a while that looks at the portrayal of late medieval/early modern history, namely the Tudor dynasty, in film and television, given my general interest in the relationship between history and culture [1]. The Tudors, of course, are a fascinating dynasty in part because their behavior, for the most part, was so over the top that just about everything written about them is believable, whether good or bad [2]. Since their age was one of a transition from the late Middle Ages to a somewhat recognizable period at the beginning of the age of imperialism with growing English importance in the world, the development of the Royal Navy and the achievements against the Spanish Armada as well as cultural achievements like the plays of Shakespeare, Marlowe, and their contemporaries, besides the dramatic personal lives of Henry VII, VII, Edward VI, Jane Gray, Bloody Mary, and Queen Elizabeth, among many others their lives intersected with, it is one that manages to be captured on film and television often, not only as the main event but also as part of the context.

In flipping through this book before I read it, there are a few things that are immediately of note. For one, one the authors herself wrote books on the portrayal of British sea power during the Napoleonic War on film and television and a similar volume on Jane Austen, which look to be worthy books to read. Hopefully I can find one of those volumes to read and review, as naval history and Jane Austen are two of my other interests as a reader as well. So, before I even start reading the author already has grabbed my interest with her larger body of work, which is definitely a good sign. Concerning the book itself, there is a short preface and historical introduction about the Tudors, and a short appendix and select bibliography at the close to take this book a dozen pages or so above 300 pages in length in its main text, along wit ha lengthy index, but the vast majority of this book, almost 300 pages, is a detailed, possibly exhaustive filmography of films and television shows, down to episodes, about the Tudor dynasty. Taken at random, there is a lengthy essay on Anne of the Thousand Days, cross references where films or television episodes are known under different names, such as Historyonics (2004), which has its main article under Mary Queen Of Scots (2004). In another example, every episode of the Tudors miniseries contains a lengthy and detailed plot analysis. If you’re a fan of the Tudors and how they are shown on film or television, and you are any kind of film history scholar with that as an interest, this looks like a worthy read. I look forward to getting to it soon.

[1] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/06/09/non-book-review-the-wars-of-the-roses-the-conflict-that-inspired-game-of-thrones/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/12/04/non-book-review-arthurian-animation/

[2] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/09/18/non-book-review-jasper-tudor-dynasty-maker/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2012/07/11/book-review-the-memoirs-of-mary-queen-of-scots/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2012/05/28/book-review-the-virgin-queens-daughter/